The Eyes of Tammy Faye

“God loves you, he really does.” And so does Tammy Faye.

By: Halle Fodness

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” re-tells the story of Tammy Faye Bakker, drawing from the 2000 documentary of the same name. This time, Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield take the reins as new-age televangelists, acting through heavy prosthetics and layers upon layers of makeup. The care that was put into this film is clear, especially visually. Each department, from hair and makeup to visual effects, brought exactly what was needed to make the story feel lived in and accurate.

Spanning the latter half of the twentieth century, we get to taste each decade and what it meant for the Bakkers. The eighties shimmer in shades of pearlescent gold, the sixties in muted browns. Television graphics flash across the screen bringing scenes from The PTL Club to life. Chastain, appearing in the gaudiest sequined jumpsuit imaginable, sings recreations of Bakkers’ wacky gospel music, ramping the energy up to a ten. This contrasts well with much of the darker themes and unhappy end to the Bakkers and their embezzling Christian empire. 

Because of the sheer weight our central couple pulls (Chastain and Garfield smash both roles), other characters come off as underdeveloped and some elements seem lost. But all in all, this film combines themes of humanity, humor, and silliness with greed and corruption, and manages to walk the line for a very enjoyable look into the craze of televangelism.